Mansfield Permaculture

03/01/2026

The Native Yard Project and Mansfield Permaculture, in association with the North Central Ohio Land Conservancy, Inc., are partnering this year to offer two native landscape grants.

Chosen applicants will receive funding to purchase native plants, or a landscape design & installation courtesy of Mansfield Permaculture, an ecological landscaping organization. Apply today and take a meaningful step toward helping your local ecosystem!

Deadline March 15th The Native Yard Project, with support from The North Central Ohio Land Conservancy, will be providing grants to help offset the cost of converting portions of lawn to native plant habitat. A native plant habitat may contain flowers, grasses, sedges, shrubs and trees. Projects see...

10/31/2025

Mansfield has a deep and layered history. Indigenous peoples once cared for this land with ecological wisdom and community at the center of life. Industrialization replaced that approach with factories, profit, and efficiency, leaving families and neighborhoods vulnerable when the manufacturing economy collapsed.

Today, we have the chance to reimagine the city. Through urban agriculture, regenerative landscaping, and community education, we turn underutilized spaces into food forests, pocket parks, bioswales, and gathering places for the community.

A food forest is a multi-layered, perennial landscape that mimics the structure of a natural forest: combining trees, shrubs, herbs, vines, and groundcovers to create a self-sustaining ecosystem. Besides producing fresh, nutrient-dense food, these systems provide a foundation for a more resilient city, improving stormwater management, enhancing biodiversity, and making underutilized land productive and beautiful. When installed throughout Mansfield, food forests and complementary green spaces can raise property values, create ecotourism opportunities, and offer welcoming “third spaces” for neighbors to gather, learn, and interact. They also serve as living classrooms, connecting people to nature, teaching regenerative land practices, and inspiring community stewardship. Together, these landscapes lay the groundwork for a city that prioritizes both people and planet.

Ready to make your property part of this transformation? Explore our services and learn how your yard can grow more food, save on groceries, and support a thriving community at www.mansfieldpermaculture.org

09/28/2025

Fall is the perfect time to get your space ready for next year’s garden.

Our permaculture landscape design services include brush removal and bed prep so you’ll be set for a productive growing season.

Visit www.mansfieldpermaculture.org to learn more.

09/19/2025

Blue Mistflower (Conoclinium coelestinum) is a native perennial that offers both beauty and ecological value. Its soft blue blooms attract a wide range of pollinators, especially native butterflies and bees, making it an excellent choice for anyone looking to support local ecosystems.

Key benefits of Blue Mistflower include:
• Provides a vital nectar source late in the season, when other flowers are scarce.
• Creates habitat for beneficial insects and wildlife.
• Stabilizes soil and thrives with minimal maintenance as a hardy native plant.

If you are considering a pollinator garden or looking to transition from traditional lawns to landscapes that are both attractive and ecologically resilient, we can help.

Learn more about our regenerative landscape design services at www.mansfieldpermaculture.org.

09/13/2025

Our clients are celebrating their first harvest of wine cap mushrooms from the mushroom bed we installed this spring! 🍄

Wine caps are a delicious, nutrient-rich mushroom with a flavor often compared to potatoes, artichokes, and oyster mushrooms. They’re easy to grow, thrive in wood chips and mulch, and help recycle organic material into healthy soil. Beyond their unique taste, they also improve garden ecosystems by enriching soil life and supporting healthy plants.

Interested in adding a mushroom bed to your own property? Visit www.mansfieldpermaculture.org to schedule an installation or consultation today.

09/10/2025

Our summer urban planning intern, Paige, joined us this week to help transform a traditional lawn into a native ecosystem. We planted 300 Pennsylvania sedge (Carex pensylvanica) and seeded a Midwest woodland wildflower mix beneath a mature oak, recreating the oak savanna once common in central Ohio.

Soon we’ll add more perennials, cut flowers, ramps, sea kale, mayapples, and native grasses to create a whimsical, resilient garden space. One of the photos here shows what the no-mow lawn will look like once it’s established: lush, low-growing, and full of native life.

09/05/2025

This week we installed a rain barrel system and a keyhole-shaped mushroom bed for a client. The rain barrel will let them collect and reuse free rainwater in their garden, and the mushroom bed will provide fresh harvests for years to come.

Our landscape design services focus on creating systems that are both practical and productive. From water catchment to mushroom cultivation to food forests, we help homeowners turn their outdoor spaces into places of abundance.

If you’re interested in exploring what your yard could become, visit www.mansfieldpermaculture.org and start your landscape design journey!

08/24/2025

Wild Acre is a licensed native plant nursery and urban farm in Lexington, Ohio, on a mission to restore biodiversity in our county and beyond. As a trusted local hub, they offer a wide variety of Ohio’s native plants to support wildlife and provide ecological education to the community.

In this video, owner Caitlin Duncan shares how planting native species in your own yard can boost biodiversity, strengthen ecosystems, and enhance community wellbeing. 🌿🌎

08/22/2025

08/17/2025

Across the Midwest, communities like ours are already experiencing hotter summers, heavier rainfall, and shifting seasons. These changes affect our health, our homes, and our food access.

But here’s the good news: there are proven solutions cities and residents can adopt to make our neighborhoods stronger, safer, and more resilient.

- Planting more trees and expanding green space to cool our cities
- Designing stormwater systems, bioswales, retention ponds and rain gardens to reduce flooding and restore our local watershed
- Building walkable, bike-friendly streets and expanding public transit options
- Using reflective or green roofing to lower heat in dense neighborhoods
- Supporting local food systems and community gardens for food security
- Investing in renewable energy and energy-efficient housing
- Strengthening social networks so neighbors can check in during extreme weather

Our organization is working toward implementing these solutions in partnership with local communities, organizations, and municipalities.

Interested in volunteering or getting involved with our efforts? Visit www.mansfieldpermaculture.org to learn more.

08/06/2025

Got 5 minutes?
We’re gathering input from Mansfield residents to help shape projects that improve quality of life in our city.
Your voice matters — and your feedback will directly inform future work in the community.

📲 Tap the link to take the survey: https://forms.gle/L8XN4ocqcuk7voSR9

Let’s build a better Mansfield, together.

Help Improve Life in Mansfield This short survey is part of a community effort to better understand what people in Mansfield need to live healthier, more stable, and connected lives. Your feedback will help guide local projects that focus on things like access to healthy local food, walkable neighbo...

08/05/2025

Jason Kaufman is the owner of Fatwood Farm, a 42-acre property in Bellville, Ohio, where he practices permaculture and habitat restoration. He’s working to transition the land into a native oak and hickory savannah, manage invasive species, restore biodiversity, and care for soil and water systems. His approach is deeply influenced by the Buddhist concept of pratītyasamutpāda — the recognition that all things are interconnected.

Watch our latest video on YouTube:

Jason Kaufman is the owner of Fatwood Farm, a 42-acre property in Bellville, Ohio, where he practices permaculture and habitat restoration. He’s working to t...